Banana-shipping case.



No. 707,047. Patented Aug. l2, I902. H. BITNER.

BANANA SHIPPING CASE.

(Applicatinn filed Jan. 18, 1902.)

Hal .6

(No Model.)

Ind/@2157? THE uonms PETERS co, PHOTO-UTHU., WASHINOYON, o. c.

UNITED ATET HARRY BITNER, OF BERYVYN, ILLINOIS.

BANANA-SHIPPlNG CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,047, dated August12, 1902.

Application filed January 18,1902. Serial No. 90,256. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY BITNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Banana-Shipping Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in banana-shipping cases designed for the purpose of making a convenient collapsible case which shall be rigid when extended and shall occupy the minimum space when collapsed.

To such end the invention consists in a certain novel construction described below, the essential characteristics of which are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete case in the preferred form. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same collapsed. Fig. 3 is a detail view of two of thejointed braces, showing the locking-slide in section. Fig. 4 is an end view of the same details, showing the slide complete; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section in the plane 5 5 of Fig. 3.

A is a flexible bag, such as is commonly used in cases of this sort. B B B B 13' are a series of encircling hoops secured to said bag out of contact therewith by cords G, as is also common in these cases. The hoops are rigidly extended by means of braces D, made up, as seen in Fig. 3, of two portions d (1, preferably of wire bent into U shape and coiled about each other at the middle portion to hinge the two together. Eyes (1 at the free ends of the portions are secured to the slats by means of staples E. Slides F, embracing and guided on the coiled portions of the braces, are movablelaterally thereon and have at one end hooked ends f andat the other end forked projections f f so that by moving the slide laterally it may be made to engage the oppositely-extending portions of the braces to rigidly connectthe sameor by moving it in the other direction may be made to release said. portions, so that they may be folded together to permit the case to collapse, as seen in Fig. 2.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with the bag, A, and the hoops, B, B, 13 ,13 B secured thereto and out of contact therewith, of the braces, D, made up of the U -shaped portions pivoted together and respectively to the respective hoops, and means for rigidly locking the portions of the braces against angular movementat the hinges; substantially as described.

2. The combination with the bag, A, and the hoops, B, B, B B B, secured thereto out of contact therewith, of the braces, D, composed of the U-shaped portions, d, d, having their ends hinged to the hoops and their middle portions to each other, and the slide, F, adapted to engage said portions against angular movement in one position, and to be moved so as to release said portions; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 15th day of January, A. D. 1902. HARRY BITNER. WVitnesses:

CHAS. O. SHERVEY, S. BLIss. 

